Treatments -AcneFree - Acne and Blackhead Terminator
BonChicBonGenre 9/25/2011 3:31:00 PM
I bought this after I started seeing results from using a free sample of PC 5% BP product. I got a really crazy break out, concentrated on my chin, when I came home from vacation. My typical system wasn't working so I tried the PC 5%. When I started seeing results, I didn't want to wait to order it online, so I went to see what Walgreen's had to offer. This stuff is *so much* better than PC! It's an odd gel/cream consistency that is thick and absorbs very quickly. It was as effective as PC at getting rid of the breakout all over my face, and all I have left is one stubborn spot on one side of my chin. Best yet, it was about $5 on sale. The only ding on this is true of all BP products - it bleaches. I'm very careful with rinsing my hands after application and rubbing on an old towel that I don't care about, but I still somehow managed to bleach our brand new Elie Tahari hand towels in the guest bathroom. :(
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Cleansers -Clarisonic - Gentle Hydro Cleanser
BonChicBonGenre 9/25/2011 3:26:00 PM
I like this stuff so much I'm considering buying it separately now that I'm running low. It came with my Clarisonic that I got for Christmas last year and I am almost running out. I actually don't use it with my Clarisonic at all; I use as a cream cleanser in the morning to get rid of the night guk that accumulates on my acne-prone, oily skin at night. It smells like cucumber - not cucumber perfume but actual cucumber (I'm not in love with the smell). Most cream cleansers seem to kind of move the oiliness around on my face and then is rinsed off. But something about the product gives it an astringent quality, almost. It makes me feel like it's really cutting *through* the oil and getting my face clean, more like a foaming cleanser than cream cleanser. And unlike other cream cleansers, this rinses off completely. It really works while being gentle!
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Eye Shadow -MAC - Eye Shadow in Quarry
BonChicBonGenre 9/25/2011 3:14:00 PM
This was the first MAC eyeshadow I ever bought and I still love it. You have to see it in person at the MAC counter and try it on. It is a very strange hybrid of light brown, taupe, with hints of purple, with no frost. As another reviewer mentioned, the color payoff isn't as much as other MAC shadows (it can be a little chalky), but that translates to shadow that's a little bit dark but *very* forgiving in its application. I use it in my crease when I don't feel like wearing shimmer eyeshadow for a non-shimmer neutral eye. I usually pair it with a non-shimmer vanilla color (e.g., WnW Brule).
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Honesty Eyeshadow
BonChicBonGenre 9/25/2011 3:07:00 PM
I got this as a gift and am glad that I didn't pay for it. It seems like a fun color but it just doesn't work. As other reviewers have noted, it doesn't seem to have a base color. Rather, it goes on as a layer of large glittery chunks with no color underneath. The glittery chunks are a warm bronze color that simply makes me look orange. Not a fan.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Ricepaper Eyeshadow
BonChicBonGenre 9/25/2011 3:03:00 PM
This eyeshadow is really easy to hit pan on! Ricepaper is a light yellow/golden shimmer shadow that is almost creamy in consistency. It's works beautifully as a shimmer wash, but also as a neutral highlighter shadow that you can use other colors with. I am NC25/30 with mostly yellow undertones but good doses of olive and beige, and this is just light enough on my skin that you can see it, but isn't frosty white.
2 out of 2 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Eye Shadow -MAC - Bare Canvas Paint
BonChicBonGenre 9/25/2011 2:58:00 PM
This stuff is okay. It doesn't do much of anything, but I don't really know what I was expecting given it is flesh-toned cream. It's in a little metallic tube that doesn't squeeze out the right amount of product. The product itself is thick and creamy and dries to kind of a powdery finish. I read on these boards that it could be used alone as a nude shadow wash, or I could layer shadow on top and the color of the shadow would pop. Unfortunately, when I use it alone it doesn't do anything, just kind of evens out my eyelids. It doesn't make my eyeshadow color any more true, and on top of all of that, it creases. I might try these Paints in a shimmery neutral, but Bare Canvas isn't that great.
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Tinted Moisturizer -Laura Mercier - Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 - Oil Free
BonChicBonGenre 9/24/2011 2:18:00 PM
I've used this for almost a year now. What I like about it is how it mimics my skin so it doesn't look like I'm wearing makeup. It *looks* really nice. The coverage is lighter than I would like but is buildable, but the result is that I end up applying two applications. It's oddly greasy - the tube is now covered in grease because it's best applied with fingers but it kind of gets all over the place. I really love the way this looks so I would definitely buy it again, but I wouldn't say this is HG and now I want to try LM's other foundations.
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Mascara -NYX - Doll Eye - Water Proof - Extreme Black
BonChicBonGenre 8/31/2011 11:00:00 PM
This was *so* difficult to use. I have thin Asian lashes and when I used the brush that came with it, my lashes just clumped and drooped. I eventually replaced it with a silicone spool from an older mascara (after cleaning it, obviously), and just lived with the ill-fitting spool jammed into this packaging for this mascara. When I used the new silicone spool it was definitely easier, but still a lot of work to get long lashes.
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Misc Beauty Tools -Clarisonic - Clarisonic PLUS Sonic Skin Cleansing System
BonChicBonGenre 8/31/2011 10:56:00 PM
I can't say that I regret getting this; I use it all of the time and if for some reason mine broke or got lost, I'd likely look into replacing it. But it wasn't a miracle product for me or anything. I've had it for about 10 months. The first few months my skin definitely seemed to get clearer, but then the weather turned and I started getting breakouts again. If I had to advise someone on whether or not to get it, I'd absolutely suggest getting the MIA system because it is cheaper, or going with the DS Olay version.
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Mascara -Laura Mercier - Full Blown Volume Lash Building Mascara
BonChicBonGenre 5/27/2011 11:53:00 PM
I got this free last November with my other LM purchase. I kind of love this stuff, which is a little surprising given how basic it is. But it applies really easily and nicely, it holds curl, and makes my lashes look amazing! They look almost lush (which is huge for my thin Asian lashes) and very, very long. Even better, they don't smudge even though I'm pretty oily. EDIT: I have used this sample for more than a year. I know I should probably toss it, but it seems to have gotten even better as the months go by. Just a single swipe and my lashes are so thick and long. RE-EDIT (March 2012): I've been trying other mascaras because I don't want to pay the steep price tag on this, especially because my lashes will never be my strong suit. But the more mascaras I try, the more it becomes obvious that this is the best mascara I've ever tried in my life. It's so easy to apply really thick, long lashes! One swipe, no clumps, a little brushing out, and voila! Long, thick, black lashes that hold their curl. I think I'm going to cave and buy it!
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Blush -Wet 'n' Wild - Mega Glo Illuminating Powder - Strike-A-Pose-Rose #346
BonChicBonGenre 7/17/2010 6:06:00 PM
I love this. I love it so! I wanted a different kind of bronzer than the bareMinerals "Warmth" I had been using, which looked okay but not glowy on me at all. I know this is more of a blush, but for some reason it has the effect of being a highlighter, blush, and bronzer/contour all in one product. The lightest color is a very light colorless shimmer, whereas the darkest color is a deep pinked brown color. I apply without swirling my brush and the lightest color stays closer to my eyes, the pinks sit on the apple of my cheek, and the darkest contours. It doesn't look stripey at all (though I do blend a little bit). And best yet, the overall effect is exactly as the name says: a glow! It's so pretty - I wish I had this on my wedding day. The only ding is the packaging, with its screw on lid, which is at worst *mildly* annoying. I might have to check out the other color options! *EDIT*: I should add that the two darkest colors wear down much, much faster than the lighter colors. The two lighter bars hardly look like they've been used at all!
3 out of 3 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powder -New York Color - Smooth Skin Loose Powder
BonChicBonGenre 4/22/2010 11:16:00 PM
I am very, very oily, and on me, this powder is only so-so. I'm a little spoiled now that I've been using Laura Mercier's Mineral Finishing Powder, which has done the best job at keeping my face from turning into an oil slick by 11:00 am. But the LM is pretty expensive and I was looking for something else to try as a backup. When I use this by itself, I still get oily, and retouching on top gets kind of gross and cakey. But I've taken to layering this on top of the LM, and the combo works pretty well. I pat on a thinner layer of LM than I would if I were using LM alone (so I use less of the LM) and then I put a good layer of this on top. I like that I use less of the LM but am still enjoying a good level of oil control.
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Sunscreen -Eucerin - Daily Protection Moisturizing Face Lotion - Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen - 4.0 FL. OZ. 118mL
BonChicBonGenre 3/21/2010 12:23:00 AM
I have been using this on my face for over a year now, and am on my second bottle. That said, I'm on the lookout for a new sunscreen now. When I first bought this in December 2008 I made a trip out to Southern California to visit my family. When I came back and saw myself in my own home mirror, I was surprised to see that I had tanned while in California. I thought maybe I hadn't used enough, so I tried to use a little more, layering it on, but it was really difficult to do so. This product is really thin so it spreads really easily all over your face, and doesn't absorb, or set, quickly. So you're pushing white all over your face until it eventually sort of sets in. It doesn't feel like there's enough on, so I've even tried to put on two layers. I really like that there are physical blocks in this product and I like that it is isn't super greasy, so I kept trying to make this work even as I kept seeing sun damage. But at this point I can't deny the extent of sun damage around my eyes. I have to exfoliate the damage out and get a new sunscreen now. :(
4 out of 5 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Powders -Laura Mercier - Mineral Finishing Powder
BonChicBonGenre 3/13/2010 12:45:00 PM
I bought this thinking I was buying the regular LM translucent powder that comes in a 1 oz. container. I was disappointed to discover I had spent more on less product, but wow...this stuff really absorbs oil! To use, I pour some of it into the lid. This was tricky at first because this powder is so finely milled that it really pours out like it's liquid. I adjusted the sifter so that only a few holes are open, but I still have to be *really* careful when pouring it out. I apply using an Estee Lauder velour pouf which is too big for the lid, but still works. I don't puff it on, but kind of wipe it on as I would liquid foundation using a sponge, blending as I go. Unfortunately, this means I use more product and it's running out pretty quickly. This powder and this technique, though, really absorbs oil for me, and I'm a pretty oily person! Sometimes I blot once during the day and apply MAC Blot while at work, but I don't really have to. I may try the NYC stuff using this technique, to see if it works. But otherwise I might try to always have some of this around because it's really, really nice.
1 out of 1 people found this review helpful. Was this review helpful to you? Yes No
Shampoo -Organix - Shea Butter Smoothing Shampoo
BonChicBonGenre 2/2/2010 11:30:00 PM
I'm surprised by the low ratings and bad reviews for this shampoo. I don't think this is the best shampoo that I have ever tried, but it definitely isn't the worst. As far as I'm concerned it's perfectly mid-range. I'm on my second bottle and I haven't noticed any drying. It has a strange, almost jelly-like consistency. It smells nice and lathers up pretty well the first time and much, much better during a repeat wash. (I only shampoo every other day, so the first shampoo is going onto a pretty oily scalp.) It's a bit expensive for a drugstore shampoo, but I only buy this stuff on sale or when they go 2 for 1s, in which case the price isn't that bad.
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